Standards

Our program uses the American Psychological Association’s profession-wide competency model for health service psychology described in the Standards of Accreditation.

• Research. Students engage in research and scholarship that contributes to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base; and conduct, critically evaluate, and disseminate the results of this research and scholarship.  
• Ethical and Legal Standards. Students are knowledgeable regarding the APA ethical principles, ethical codes of conducts, laws, policies, and guidelines for professional practice.  Students behave in an ethical  manner at all times in academic, research, clinical, and community settings.   
• Individual and cultural diversity. Students reflect upon how their own identities and personal background impacts their worldview and how they interact with others.  Students also develop knowledge around culturally competent and culturally fair services with diverse individuals and groups. Awareness and knowledge around individual and cultural diversity is integrated into all aspects of their academic, research, and clinical work. 
• Professional Values and Attitudes. In all research, academic, and clinical roles, students seek to comport themselves in a way that reflects the values and attitudes of the field of psychology. 
• Community and Interpersonal Skills. Students engage in productive and effective interpersonal relationships with others, including peers, colleagues, supervisors, faculty, and those receiving their professional services.  They engage in effective interpersonal, verbal, nonverbal, and written communication throughout their academic and clinical work.  
• Assessment. Students develop extensive knowledge around the science of measurement and psychometrics  of psychological assessment tools, and how to select and use psychological assessment tools effectively with those receiving psychological services.  Student interpret and effectively communicate the results of psychological assessment in an accurate and sensitive manner. 
• Intervention. Student develop effective and productive relationships with those receiving psychological services.  An important focus is implementing evidence-based practice, or practice informed by empirical literature, knowledge of clinical theory and models, and the service recipient’s  own preferences, needs, life circumstances, and cultural backgrounds.  Also, as consistent with evidence-based practice models, students use assessment to monitor progress in therapy and guide treatment planning and clinical decision-making.
• Supervision.  Students become knowledgeable about supervision models and practices. 
• Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills. Students develop knowledge regarding other professions’ roles and consultation practices to facilitate effective inter-disciplinary care that will benefit the recipients of psychological services. 

Requirements

All students must complete a minimum of 102 semester hours of graduate study plus three hours of internship credit, for a total of 105 semester hours. In addition to coursework, students must pass the comprehensive examination, complete three clinical practica (supervised clinical training in the community), complete a doctoral project, and a pre-doctoral clinical internship.